The Jewish Quarter, the Castle and more


This morning we met up with our guide, Michael, to tour more of the old city including the Jewish Quarter, the Synagogue and Jewish Museum and the Castle.

The Kahal Shalom Synagogue dates from 1575 and was founded by Sephardic Jews descended from those expelled from Spain in 1492, although there has been a Jewish presence on Rhodes since the 2nd century BCE.  At its peak in the late 1930s, the population was almost 2000; virtually all were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz in July, 1944.  Currently there are fewer than 40, and perhaps only 18 or 20 Jews living in Rhodes.

The synagogue is in typical Sephardic design, with the bimah in the center:



The niches for holding the Torahs are on either side of a door which leads to a courtyard:



The women’s balcony was added in 1930; until then there was no place for women in the synagogue.



The beautiful stone floor in front of the bimah was built in the 1840s:



In the small adjacent museum are a few artifacts, a number of posters and photos explaining Jewish life in Rhodes, and a very beautiful 17th c. Torah:


 In a small adjacent room was the mikveh (ritual bath for my non-Jewish friends):

 Nearby is a square dedicated to the Jews who lost their lives in WW II, and a simple but moving monument in the center:



We then walked up to the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, a stunning and massive building on a rise within the old city.  Gothic in style, it has had many lives, from a palace to an administrative center.  It has fallen down in earthquakes and been rebuilt, and it was rebuilt by the Italians during the time when Rhodes belonged to Italy (Victor Emmanuel III and Mussolini).  Today it is a museum with an eclectic collection.



One of the absolute treasures of Rhodes art is the sculpture Laocoön and His Sons, except that it’s not in Rhodes, but rather is in the Vatican.  A long story.  Thought to be carved by three Rhodian sculptors, there is an extremely well-done copy in a prominent place in the museum:



Treasures include both Greek and Roman mosaic floors. This one of Medusa is from Kos, probably from the  2nd c. BCE:



After taking us through the museum, Michael left us, and we walked on the wall around the south and west side of the old city back to our hotel.  The views were wonderful:



It was now about 3 PM and we headed out for our large meal of the day, as the plan is for us to take an 8:30 PM boat ride in the harbor tonight.  We found (thanks, TripAdvisor) a very local place, run by a family, with traditional food.  Joyce had a roasted fish, good but ordinary, but I tried a dish called spetzofai.  Spicy Greek sausage cooked in a tomato-based broth with loads of herbs and spices, and chunks of onion, peppers and tomatoes, all covered with feta.  It was wonderful!



Tomorrow we’ll meet up with Marcia and Eric Birken whose cruise ship will be in port.  We plan to spend the day in a rental car touring the island with special attention to Lindos.  More then.

Comments

  1. Ralph LockeOctober 11, 2018 at 4:43 PM

    Hello Victor--This is Lona. Thank you for the many spectacular photographs.

    I do have a comment, however. Because there was "no place for the women" in the Sephardic synagogoue in Rhodes before the balcony was built, does not necessarily mean that the women were barred from the synagogue. They could have sat separately from the men (although not in a balcony). Balconies for women are not ubiquitous in Sephardic synagogues.

    My father's family is from the Ottoman Empire and I have more than once been told strange things about Sephardic practice that has very little relation to actual practice as it is lived by Sephardic communities. Practice varies just like in groups of Ashkenazi.

    Coming to the D.C. area, I have become more aware of being a minority within a minority. I have been publicly embarrassed and privately infuriated. It has been a very good lesson for me.

    I hope you trip remains glorious and your health remains good so that you can continue to enjoy yourself.

    Fondest regards to Joyce,

    Lona

    ReplyDelete

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